Blood of the Dead
by Draco38
Summary: A wounded party member fights for their life. Just how many ways can you turn into one of them? Prequel to Living with the DEAD. Updated 10/9/13
1. Chapter 1

I do not own Highschool of the DEAD or its characters.

Japanese names will be listed formally with the family name first.

Story revised 10/9/13.

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><p>Blood of the DEAD Chapter 1<p>

The group from Fujimi High School proceeded slowly down the narrow Tokonosu street. Since the outbreak they had learned to walk quietly and be completely aware of their surroundings. Komuro Takashi led with Busujima Saeko backing him up. Miyamoto Rei, Takagi Saya, Marikawa Shizuka, and Maresato Alice followed in the middle with Hirano Kohta, their gun master following at the rear of the formation.

The little white dog Zeke ran slightly ahead sniffing the ground and looking down side streets before Takashi could see them. A car had crashed into a light pole on the right side of the street they were on and Takashi could see bodies in it. As they approached Zeke froze and growled while he looked up the side street the car had come from.

Takashi raised his hand and signaled the group to stop while he checked on what Zeke was looking at. Five or six undead were slowly moving down the side street toward them but it did not seem to be an attack.

The students had learned that the undead would shuffle along in a kind of search mode till a sound attracted them. Make a loud sound and they would swarm with surprising speed.

Takashi turned and motioned to Saeko for quiet and she turned and passed the sign to the others. Takashi and Saeko moved to guarding positions as the others worked their way past the wrecked car.

Zeke watched for a moment and then started on down the main street past the car. Just on the other side he suddenly barked and scampered away from the wreck. Two undead, hidden by the car, rose up and began moving towards Shizuka who, shrieked with surprise.

Undead from the side street suddenly lunged toward the students splitting them into two groups. Rei stepped toward one of the undead advancing on Shizuka and stabbed it with the bayonet on her rifle, before it could grab the nurse.

There was a sudden scramble as the fighters began their attack. Takashi, trying to keep noise down was swinging his baseball bat as Saeko started her sword dance, cutting through the horde. Every time the onna-bugeisha* swung her katana, a head rolled to the street and blood flew in a spray.

"HELP!" Rei called out. "My bayonet's stuck!" The zombie had twisted as she stabbed it causing the knife to jam in its eye socket almost pulling the rifle from Rei's hands.

Kohta, who had been covering the others with his rifle, turned and advanced to the wreck before calling out, "Firing!"

He took careful, but quick, aim and shot the second creature in the head, dropping it to the ground. Just as he lowered his rifle to check for more targets he felt something smash against his back, throwing him onto the torn metal of the wrecked car. "Aeeee!" he cried as white hot pain shot through him. He tried to twist away but the jagged metal ripped and pulled at him as the monster at his back raked and grabbed, trying to get in close to bite.

"KOHTA!" Saya screamed, as she turned to find her friend pinned down by the walking death. She raised the Luger she was carrying, but froze as she tried to aim it at the thrashing creature.

A violent blur passed through her gun sights as Saeko severed the head from the monster in a single slash. Blood spewed high with the strike, covering Kohta and the car, before the undead dropped to the ground. Kohta jerked himself off the sharp metal with a cry, turned and took about three steps before crashing to the ground.

Shizuka and Alice ran back around the car to where Kohta lay in the street. Alice grabbed his rifle and pulled it aside as the nurse looked him over for bite marks. Kohta lay on the ground moaning, "It hurts sensei!" Saeko stood watch over them as Shizuka pulled off Kohta's vest and coat, handing them to Alice as she did.

"How bad is he?" called Takashi as he smashed in the head of the last zombie in sight.

Rei, finally able to brace her foot on the corpse and pull her rifle loose, turned to where the others were working on Kohta. She found Saya still standing frozen with her gun held out in front of her. The ginger-haired girl stepped close and touched her friend on the shoulder, "Saya? Saya are you alright?"

Saya was shaking with tears running down her face, "I…I could not pull the trigger…I would have hit him…"

Rei reached out, pulled the gun down and hugged Saya close to her, "Its alright, Sensei is with him checking on him."

Takashi, seeing what was going on, came over and wrapped his arms around both of them saying, "It's going to be alright. Saeko got to him before he was bitten."

"Are you sure?" Saya asked as she looked up at Takashi with tears in her big brown eyes.

"Yes I think so, we will know more in a minute. Go see if you can help," he told her. She nodded and slowly started toward the others.

Rei looked up at Takashi with fear, "Are you sure he is not bitten, Takashi?"

Takashi looked down at her with his eyes dark and hooded, and shook his head. "No Rei; I'm not," he replied. "But she was about to break and we can't have that right now. We have to move and soon."

Shizuka got up as Saya crouched down beside Kohta, and walked to where Takashi and Rei were standing. "Takashi," she said in the firmest voice either of them had ever heard out of the nurse. "We need shelter _right now_. I did not find any bites, but his right arm and shoulder are deeply cut. He needs stitches, but I need hot water, and clean linen or he runs the risk of infections that I can't fight with what I have."

Takashi nodded, "I think the best thing is to move up this street and see if we can find a house to hole up in." He walked over to where Saeko and Saya were helping his friend off the ground and asked, "Kohta? Can you walk?"

Kohta nodded with sweat and tears running down his face, "I'll damn well walk out of here." He stumbled a little bit but with Saya on his left side, he was able to start up the street. He looked around and asked, "Where's my rifle?"

"I have it big brother." said Alice.

He looked down at her and asked, "Do you remember what we talked about, Alice-chan?"

She smiled up at him and replied, "I remember big brother. Safety on, sling over my shoulders, carry it across at port arms so it will not be heavy to me. Keep my hands and fingers away from the trigger. If we are attacked make it ready and give it to one of my big brothers or big sisters if needed."

Kohta nodded, "Good girl. If it gets to heavy tell one of your senpai's." Alice nodded and walked forward putting herself behind Saeko in the marching order.

Takashi stared at Kohta who shook his head and muttered, "Let's get out of here, Komuro. I don't know how long I'll be able to stand." Takashi nodded and headed up the street, watching behind them also.

Within a few minutes, they had moved into an area where the houses looked in good shape and had fences with gates. Takashi fell back and told Saeko he and Zeke would run ahead and try to find one they could get into. She nodded and told him good luck.

Checking several and finding them all locked he finally came to a large stone house on a corner. It had a six foot high fence around it with steel gates that were unlocked. He entered the yard and climbed the steps to the front door, before quietly knocking. Hearing nothing, he tried the door and found it unlocked as well. As he opened it he saw a sheet of paper blow out from between the door and the jam. Picking it up he read what was on it.

_"To Whom It May Concern, we have evacuated to the park with the rest of the area. If you are friend or family you might find us there. If you are seeking shelter welcome! P.S. Please feed the Koi."_

Takashi chuckled and scratched his head. Looking down at the little dog he said, "Well Zeke, looks like we may be home for a while. Let's go get the family!" Zeke woofed and they headed back down the walkway to the street.

A quick search found none of Them in the yard and the party stopped on the front steps until Takashi and Saeko cleared the house. Saeko came back to hold the door open, as Takashi helped the others carry Kohta inside.

Outside, the house had a very European look to it with stone walls and heavy windows. Inside and out back was another matter altogether. Traditional shoji screens divided the rooms and living spaces while in the main room there was a sand pit with grates for a fire in the center. In the rear of the house was a modern kitchen, as well as a large bath and laundry area. Upstairs was more of the same though there were western beds as well as futons.

"The power is off but there are gas cook tops, the water still works and looks good and clear," Takashi said as they eased Kohta down on the living room floor.

"Wow," said Kohta looking around as he lay back. "This is nice! I hate to bleed all over this place."

Saya spun on him to chastise him, but stopped as she realized the bandage on his arm was soaked and dripping blood. "Shizuka-sensei we need to get to fixing Kohta, _right now_." Saya said as Shizuka stood looking around the room.

Shizuka nodded, and pointed to a spot across floor, "Takashi, I need blankets and a sheet placed over there where there is good light. Rei, find a clean pot and start boiling water. Saeko, look for alcohol, the stronger the better." She unbuttoned her bloody top as she continued, "Alice-chan dig into my clothes bag, and get me a clean t-shirt I can work in."

"What about me?" asked Saya as she sat on the floor and put Kohta's head in her lap.

"Just keep doing what you're doing Saya-chan," Shizuka said with a smile. "Keep the patient calm and quiet until we are ready to move him." Saya nodded as she looked back down at Kohta who was smiling slightly with his eyes closed.

_He looks so pale!_ She thought as she reached out to move his bangs from his eyes. She stopped when she saw her hands were still coated with blood from Kohta and the…a freezing cold shiver went up her spine as a thought hit her. Her head snapped up looking at the nurse with fear in her eyes, as she held her hand out showing Shizuka the blood.

With the most serious look Saya had ever seen from her, the nurse raised a finger to her lips and shook her head slightly. Saya's eyes went wide and her mouth fell open as the truth sank in.

Saeko walked back into the room carrying two bottles. "Everclear and Bacardi 151," She said as she holding them out to Shizuka. The nurse nodded and pointed, "Everclear to clean the wound; Bacardi to kill the pain." Saeko nodded and knelt beside Kohta, as she twisted the top off the bottle.

Saya leaned forward and said, "Kohta? Open your eyes; you need to drink this."

He's eyes fluttered open and he said, "Time for a drink huh? Okay I'm ready."

Saeko smiled as she glanced up at Saya, "Smart man. He knows we don't have any anesthetic."

It didn't take much before Kohta was well on his way to feeling no pain. The others had finished prepping and moved him to the clean bedding as Shizuka scrubbed down and put on rubber gloves. Instruments sterilized and ready she knelt next to the boy and asked, "Ready?" He nodded, and slowly she began cleaning the wound with the Everclear and gauze.

Those were the worst moments for Kohta. He had never felt pain like that before in his life. It was a relief when she stopped and actually started sewing the wound closed. The tug of his skin as the needle went through was an interesting feeling to him. He could feel it, but as drunk as he was the pain no longer registered.

He looked at Takashi who was holding his legs down and said, "This is going to be a bitch in the morning huh?"

Takashi smiled and nodded, "Don't worry, there is plenty more booze."

"Hai…" Kohta muttered before passing out.

A while later they gathered in the main room after Kohta had been moved to a bedroom upstairs. Dinner was cooking and bloody clothes were soaking in a laundry tub as Shizuka paced around the floor.

Takashi came down the stairs and said, "Alice-chan and Zeke are watching him."

Saya looked up at Shizuka and asked what no one wanted to, "Is he going to turn? He had Their blood all over him. We know a bite will kill you, but what if their blood gets into an open wound?"

Shizuka shook her head as she paced and patted herself on the cheek with her right hand, "I just don't have enough info to guess Saya. Plus on top of that I'm worried about regular infection also. The wound was almost to the bone, I had to remove some pieces of metal and I put thirty-eight stitches in him. I gave him some tablet penicillin I had, but it will take several doses to get it into his blood stream."

"The muscle was badly torn," she said. "And I don't know if he will lose any motion in that arm. Tetanus is another worry because the metal that cut him was rusted and greasy. The school made sure all of your immunizations were up to date so you had your tetanus boosters, but I still need to watch for signs of it."

"Takashi, I'm sorry but I need supplies," she said. "I used most of the gauze and my tape is getting low also." The nurse sat down on the floor and sighed, "I hate to say it, but we need to raid a drug store or a clinic. If we can find one that hasn't been wiped out already that is."

Takashi nodded, "It's too late tonight, but we can try tomorrow. I think we should light a fire in the hearth and get ready for the night." His eyes drifted up the stairs and he frowned, before voicing the next part, "I also think we need to tie Kohta down to the bed tonight, and keep a guard on him."

Saya started to say something, but Takashi cut her off, "I think I know what you are going to say Saya. We must take the precaution and if anything happens…I'll be the one to take care of it."

Saya's face turned red and she balled up her fists. Her voice shook with anger as she growled, "Takashi, don't you ever again think you know what I'm going to say. I'm a gen…" she stopped and bit her lip for a minute before continuing. "I was going to say you're right, and I will be the one to guard him tonight, that is _all_ I've got to say on the subject." With that she turned and stormed out of the back of the house.

Takashi stood with his mouth open as he watched the pink-haired girl storm away.

Shizuka said, "Ah…I'm going to check on Alice-chan and Kohta-kun." She turned and headed up the stairs, making a tsk, tsk noise.

Saeko patted Takashi on the shoulder and said, "I'll go talk to Saya-chan. Rei, he's all yours,"

Saeko stepped quietly out the back as she heard Rei began to tear Takashi a new one. She found Saya sitting down next to the Koi pond resting her head on her knees. Looking around, she saw a small garden shed in the corner. Inside she found food for the fish that were swimming in the pond. Getting a scoop full she went back, set down next to Saya, and began to throw food in small handfuls.

As they sat like that, Saeko could hear Saya sniffle every once in a while, before she finally lifted her head to watch the fish. "He can really be an ass sometimes." Saya said quietly.

Saeko nodded and said, "I am not going to make excuses for him, but I will ask you to listen when he comes to apologize."

The swordswoman leaned over and put her head on Saya's shoulder. "Is this where I tell you I know how you feel about Kohta and you get mad at me for pressing you on the subject?" Saeko asked.

Saya sniffed and looked at Saeko out of the corner of her eye. "Maybe," she replied sullenly.

"Takashi is scared Saya," Saeko said. "He has already killed one friend and tonight, he might have to kill another. On top of that, he knows it will affect all of us, and you most of all. He will do it, because he is a man and knows it's a man's job."

"I know," Saya said. "He just pissed me off saying it the way he did. His mouth works faster than his brain sometimes, though he has gotten better."

"He is learning to be a man and think like a man before it was time," Saeko sighed. "We are all having to grow up very fast. Even at her age Shizuka-sensei is still just a big kid in many ways."

Saya nodded, "Yeah but she really surprised me today. She is so bubble headed about some things, but when it mattered she really came through."

"I know," Saeko said. "She surprised me also. When I beheaded the one on Kohta, I didn't realize he was pinned to the sharp metal on the car. My heart almost stopped when he fell to the ground."

Saya sniffed again, "I couldn't help him Saeko. I raised the gun, but when I went to pull the trigger I saw his head in the way. I just froze; I couldn't do anything but watch. I've never been that scared."

As Saeko nodded, she glanced over her shoulder. "Here he comes," She said. "Are you ready to talk to him?" Saya nodded and stood up.

Saeko got up, walked over to the shed, and replaced the fish food scoop. As she turned away she noticed a coil of yellow rope on the work bench. She picked it up and took it with her as she started back towards the house.

She bowed her head slightly as she passed Takashi, saying softly, "Gently Komuro-kun, she is fragile right now."

"Hai," Takashi replied as he walked to where Saya stood waiting.

He stopped in front of her, placed his hands on the front of his thighs, and made a half bow to her, "Takagi-san, I would like to apologize for how I treated you; I spoke before I thought. You were right; I should have listened first."

Saya sniffed and said, "Baka*. Come here." She reached out and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him close, putting her head on his shoulder. For a second Takashi froze, then put his arms around her. He lay his cheek on top of her head and just stood like that for a minute.

"You know in all the years we've known each other, I've never seen you hug anyone but your mother," he said.

"Don't read anything into it," she told him. "I care for you like a brother, but that's it." She turned her face up to him, her eyes moist. "It's a new world Takashi, and I think the time of hiding feelings and thoughts is behind us. We have to adapt to what life brings us, and live more for the moment rather than the future."

"I thought you were the one that wanted to lay out a plan and stick to it?" Takashi asked and they stepped back from each other.

"Oh I do," she said. "I still think we need to get out of the city as soon as we can and find a place to hole up until whatever happens does. This roaming from place to place has not worked well so far. Everywhere we have gone things have fallen apart. It seems like when we stay together and away from others, I feel safer. I want us somewhere safe, alone and together," she told him as they started toward the house, "I know I'm not a fighter and I don't want any of you in danger because I froze up like I did today."

He put his arm around her shoulders again, "Saya you haven't even fired that pistol once yet. I think you did the right thing not firing instead of taking the shot."

As they stepped up onto the porch at the rear of the house, Saeko appeared at the door. With a grim look on her face she said, "Shizuka sent me for you. His fever has gone up."

They found the others upstairs in the hall, outside the bedroom Kohta was in. The door was open and Shizuka was sitting on the bed washing Kohta's face and chest with a wet rag. As Takashi walked up she took a thermometer out of Kohta's mouth and held it up to look at it.

She sighed and shook it before putting it back into her bag. "104; if it goes much over that we have a real problem."

"Is there no way to cool him off without medicine?" Takashi asked.

The nurse shook her head, "We could put him in a tub of luke-warm water to try to break the fever, but I would rather wait to see if he gets worse. I'm going to crush some aspirin into a powder and make a paste. I'll put that in his mouth a little at a time so it will not choke him and it will get into his system faster that way." She stood up and said, "Right now I think you should tie him down."

Takashi turned and looked as Saeko walked in with the coil of rope in her hand, "I found this in the garden shed. I think I know how we can do this and not hurt him if he thrashes around."

Takashi nodded and they went to work.

Saya watch the pair for a few moments, but with tears welling up in her eyes, she turned away. Seeing the water bowl sensei had been using to bath Kohta with, she took it downstairs to get fresh water in it.

A few minutes later it was done. They had put two loops around Kohta's waist and tied them in the back. Then they cut two short pieces, tied them to his wrists and to the ropes around his waist. They left some slack so he could move his arms a little, but not enough for him to untie anything. They then tied his ankles together and tied that off to the end of the bed.

Takashi rubbed the back of his head as he looked over their work "That works really well! How do you know to do it this way Saeko-san?"

Saeko blushed slightly as she turned to leave the room, "Girls don't just watch love stories all the time Komuro-kun."

Takashi's mouth fell open as he watched her leave the room, her hips swaying provocatively in the kimono robe she was wearing. _What did she mean by that?_ He wondered as he shivered with the thought of the swordswoman watching some bondage movie or hentai.

He stepped out into the hall where he found Saya holding a fresh bowl of water, watching Saeko disappear down the stairs. She looked at him with one eyebrow raised and a pout on her lips. She snorted as she walked by and said, "If you two are through I'll take over now."

Takashi rubbed the back of his head again and said, "Umm…yeah, call out if you need anything." He proceeded down stairs for some long awaited supper.

Saya set the bowl on the bedside table and dipped the rag into it. Wringing it out, she felt Kohta's forehead and then placed the rag there. She felt his cheeks and chest and wiped them down with the rag. _He's sweating and I think he's starting to get the chills._ She thought to herself as the door opened and Shizuka walked in.

"How is he looking?" the nurse asked, as she walked over carrying a small dish in her hand.

"I think he is starting to get the chills," Saya said as the nurse put her hand on Kohta's cheek and forehead.

Shizuka nodded, "The fever is fighting the infection, and the body is fighting the fever. Cover him with a blanket when he starts to shake, but take it off him as soon as you're sure he has stopped." She set the dish and a bottle of water on the table, "Take a little of this aspirin paste on this tongue depressor and place it in his mouth, rubbing it on his tongue. His natural reaction should be to suck on it and swallow the paste. I crushed four aspirin so give him about half over the next few minutes and the rest a couple of hours from now. If he wakes up, try to get him to take some water, but don't worry if he doesn't. With the alcohol and meds in him I don't really expect him to wake until sometime tomorrow."

Saya told her ok as she tucked the blanket around Kohta. Shizuka patted her on the shoulder and said, "I'm going across the hall with Alice and try to get some rest. Come get me if you need to."

Saya nodded as the blond stretched her arms above her head causing her boobs to almost fall out of the bottom of her shirt. "Oooo, sometimes they just have minds of their own!" she said as she rearranged them and started out the door.

Saya watched her with raised eyebrows and thought, _Suddenly__ the bimbo is back!_ She shook her head wondering where the doctor in the woman's brain wandered off to.

The house grew darker as the last of the day drifted away into night. Saya stood at the window for a while just looking at the city with no lights. _"The stars seem so bright now,"_ She thought looking up at them. _What was that saying from that movie? 'We will not go quietly into the dark',_ She wondered if she would ever see a movie again as she curled up in a wing-backed chair and tried to doze.

Throughout the night, she got up several times to check on Kohta. She gave him the rest of the paste, and even got him to take a little water once. She tried to doze more, but the chair was hard, so she finally gave up and went to lie on the bed on his uninjured side.

As she lay in the dark, she watched his face in the moonlight coming through the window. She smiled slightly and took his hand in hers thinking, _Fat otaku, you get to sleep in the bed with me and don't even know it. I bet that would give you a nosebleed!_

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><p>AN: I want to thank JM1681 and MarshalZhukov for the help they have given. I'm dyslexic and really have problems with spelling and commas.

Please review and also take a look at my Black Lagoon stories.

*Onna-bugeisha - female samurai

*Baka – Fool

Music I listened to while writing this.

Heroes – Shinedown

It's Not Easy – Five for Fighting

Drops of Jupiter – Train

Iris – Goo Goo Dolls

It's Not Over – Chris Daughtry

Far Away – Nickleback

Fighter – Christina Aguilera

Numb – Linkin Park

Click Click Boom – Saliva

TNT – AC/DC

Call Me When You're Sober – Evanescence

Bring Me to Life – Evanescence

Broken – Seether & Amy Lee

Hurt - Christina Aguilera

In he Deep – Bird York

Savin' Me – Nickleback

Somebody Save Me – Remy Zero

Waiting on the World to Change – John Mayer

It Ends Tonight – The All-American Rejects

Prelude 12/21 - AFI


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own Highschool of the DEAD or its characters.

Story revised 10/9/13.

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><p>Blood of the DEAD Chapter 2<p>

As Saya woke in the sunlight of the new day, she realized someone was standing over the bed. Looking up through sleepy eyes, she found Shizuka looking down at her with a small smile on her face and the index finger of her left hand tapping the corner her mouth.

"Sleep well Saya-chan?" Shizuka asked as she reached and took the thermometer from Kohta's mouth. "Hmm, 102, better but I wish it were lower." The nurse said, "Better get up Saya. Takashi wants your help and I think they just about have breakfast ready. I'll stay here with Kohta-kun." Saya nodded before crawling off the bed and heading downstairs.

Saya walked into the kitchen to find Takashi, Rei, and Saeko putting oatmeal in bowls on the counter. She picked up a box of juice, and took a bowl from Takashi as she went to the dining area. Sitting down at the table she found granola, honey and what looked to be some milk made from powder.

Rei and Takashi came in and set down with her as Saeko got some granola and honey for her bowl. "I will go up to stay with Kohta-kun, so Sensei can come down to eat," she told them as she headed up the stairs.

Takashi looked at Saya with a little smile on his face and said, "Saya? I need a genius this morning. You feel up to it?"

Saya narrowed her eyes as she looked back, "What, finally decided you need a brain Takashi-san?" She wrinkled her nose at him and winked at Rei, who covered her mouth to smother a giggle.

Takashi sighed and said, "Ok I deserved that. I need to figure out where to find a drug store, but I don't want to go out just roaming till we run across one."

Saya thought a minute and said, "First of all we need a phone book. Have you looked for one?"

Takashi nodded, "There is one in the library, and I've found a lot of addresses, but no way to tell where they are from here."

"There's a library?" Saya asked. "We need to look for a map then and see if I can work out our position."

After they finished their breakfast and cleaned up their dishes, Takashi led them down the hall under the stairs. Below the bedroom Kohta occupied, he showed them a room wrapped in bookshelves with a large dark wood desk in the center. Leather chairs were placed around the room making places where people could sit and talk or read at the same time. A drafting table sat in front of the rear window where the sunlight gave it a golden light to work by.

Saya stood in the door with her mouth agape and said, "I think I'm in love." She walked around gazing at the books. Classics, modern, history, she almost drooled as she read the spines. She pulled her attention away to go to the desk where Takashi was standing with the phone book.

First, she looked at the addresses to see if she recognized any of them. Then she told Takashi to search the desk for maps while she and Rei checked the book shelves. A few minutes later Takashi said, "I think this is it, Saya."

She went over to him where he had a book with street maps of different parts of the city. "This will work great!" she declared as she gathered the maps, phone book, and writing paper, putting them all on the drafting desk. She dug into the drawers of the drafting table and produced a ruler. After finding where they were, she began checking drug store addresses and measuring distances.

Ten minutes later she looked up, "There are three within three kilometers of here, all in the same direction. If you start now you should be able to get there and back in plenty of time before dark. Who are you planning to take with you?"

Takashi thought for a moment and said, "Sensei and Saeko. That leaves you here to watch Kohta and Rei to take care of Alice. I'll go get them ready now." With that he turned and headed out the door.

Saya quickly wrote down some directions for him and got up to start out. Then she noticed Rei standing with her back to her holding a book in her hand and flipping through it. Curious she walked over and looked over Rei's shoulder. "What are you looking at Rei?" Saya asked.

Rei squeaked as she slammed the book closed and pulled it close to her chest. Looking over her shoulder red faced she asked quietly, "Where's Takashi?"

"Gone to get Saeko and sensei ready to go shopping, why, what have you got?" Saya asked with growing curiosity.

Rei, still red faced opened the book and showed her the contents. Saya's eyebrows shot to the top of her forehead as Rei flipped the pages.

"What the…" Saya said as she turned to the front of the book to see the title. "The Joy of Sex" she read and asked Rei, "Is it some kind of Hentai?"

"Looks more like some kind of reference book! Look it shows all sorts of things!" Rei said. The two girls flipped pages and stared at them, till they jumped when they heard Takashi calling from down the hall.

"Put that somewhere you can find it again," Saya whispered as Rei slammed the book closed. Rei nodded and put the book back on the shelf with the pages outward so the spine could not be seen.

They met the others in the main room as they were getting ready to leave. "Is there anything you need?" Takashi asked as he put one of the packs on his back.

Saya nodded and handed a piece of paper to the nurse who looked it over and nodded. Takashi looked on with a puzzled look till Saya said, "Girl stuff, Takashi."

"Be careful!" Rei said as she gave Takashi a quick hug. Saeko opened the front door and quickly scouted the street before waving the others out. Takashi waved as he closed the gate behind them and the two girls watched till they were out of sight.

After they had closed and locked the door, Rei and Saya went to the back porch to check on Alice. They found the child sitting by the Koi pond watching the fish while Zeke lay beside her.

"Onee-chan!" She said as she ran to hug Saya, "How is big brother Kohta-san?"

Saya hugged the child and said, "He is still resting munchkin. Would you like Rei onee-chan to take you up to see him?"

"Yes please!" Alice said.

"I'll be up in a few minutes," Saya told Rei as they walked back into the house. Rei nodded and started upstairs with Alice as Saya went back down the hall to the library.

She stood for a few minutes looking at the books and thinking. Her gaze kept drifting back to the book Rei had found, but she resisted and picked a modern novel instead. She then made her way back upstairs to see Alice happily telling Kohta all about the fish in the pond even though he was still asleep.

Saya walked across the hallway to the room where Shizuka and Alice had slept. Finding the window on the front side of the house, she opened the curtains. There she could stand and see down the street in the direction the others had gone.

Rei was bringing Alice out of Kohta's bedroom as Saya came back across the hall. She knelt down and gave Alice a hug before sending her downstairs to play with Zeke.

"Has he opened his eyes at all?" Rei asked as they stood in the doorway looking at Kohta.

"No," Saya said shaking her head. "He took a little water last night but other than that he has done nothing but sleep."

"Saya if you want to talk about it, I'm willing to listen," Rei told the pink haired girl.

Saya hung her head and said, "I don't know what I could say, Rei. Every day since the start of this I have berated him, screamed at him, and hit him, when all he ever did was protect us. Now…now that he might die, all I want to do is tell him how sorry I am that I treated him that way, and how proud I am of him."

"You also kept him focused, and his mind on the events going on around us," Rei replied, "You know as well as I do how distracted he gets when he finds a new gun or something like that."

"Yes it makes me mad when he geeks out over…" Saya began when suddenly Kohta moaned. The two girls rushed to the bed side. Kohta had sweat pouring off him as he shivered, another low moan coming from his mouth as his teeth clenched.

A shiver of fear went down Saya's spine as she noticed his color_. He looks gray!_ She thought as she felt his forehead and chest before grabbing the thermometer and trying to put it in his mouth. Not being able to get it in, she discarded it and wrapped him with the blanket. Rei handed her the wet rag and Saya began to bath his face and neck. "Rei…" Saya said, "…go get some clean fresh water please." Rei nodded and headed out the door with the bowl.

_Come on Kohta, don't do this to me!_ Saya thought,_ Takashi and the others will be back soon and we will get you all fixed up._

Rei came back in with the fresh water and took over wiping him down. Meanwhile Saya got the small bowl and began to crush some more aspirin into a paste. _I'll start out with two._ she thought as she worked.

"He stopped shivering and his mouth is unclenched," Rei observed.

"Take the blanket off and put the thermometer in his mouth. Watch out in case he starts to clench again, I don't want him to bite it in two," Saya told her. Rei nodded and did as she was told as Saya worked on the medicine.

A few minutes later Rei took the thermometer out and checked it. "What does it say?" Saya asked as Rei went to the window to see it better.

She looked back at Saya with fear in her eyes, "106!"

"Damn it!" Saya said. "Rei come hold this!" She handed Rei the small bowl as she climbed on the bed. As Rei held the bowl, Saya took the tongue depressor and pried his mouth open. She coated his tongue with the paste and then let his mouth close.

"Come on," She said. "Come on, boy; suck it down." She watched but Kohta's mouth did not move. "Damn it! This worked last night!" She looked around and thought for a second. "Rei, hand me the rag! Make it real wet!"

Rei soaked the rag and handed it to her. Saya folded it into a triangle and pressed it into Kohta's mouth between his teeth. "Come on boy," She said as she began to squeeze the rag and ran water into his mouth. She reached out and squeezed his nose shut and about five seconds later he opened his mouth and grasped for air. Upon closing his mouth Kohta began to suck on the rag taking in the water he so badly needed.

"There you go boy! Suck it! Suck it like it's a nipple!" she said as she put more paste in his mouth and went through the process again. Still talking to him she said, "Suck it like you mean it!" She leaned in close to his ear, "Suck it like it's my tit otaku!"

Saya kept this up until all the paste was gone, and then she started wiping him down again. She did this for thirty minutes or so and then put the thermometer back in his mouth. Withdrawing it a few minutes later she looked at it closely. "103, Rei!" She exclaimed. Getting off the bed she collapsed into the chair, blew out a breath, and said, "Damn; now _I'm_ tired!"

"I better go check on Alice. She's been alone for a while now." Rei said as she started toward the door. She stopped and looked back at the pink-haired girl and asked, "Saya? What if he remembers what you said? I have heard that sometimes people in a coma remember things that are said to them while they are out."

Saya waved her hand and said, "I don't care, Rei. If he gets through this and remembers what I said…I'll handle that then." Rei nodded and went out the door.

Saya got up once more and checked Kohta's forehead. She leaned over and kissed him on the forehead and then after thinking about, it kissed him softly on the lips. She pulled back and looked at him as she thought to herself; _I swear I thought I felt his lips move!_ Not seeing any movement she went back to her chair and picked up the book she had taken from the library.

000

Waking up several hours later Saya got up and stretched. She checked on Kohta and on finding him okay, she went downstairs to see what Rei and Alice were doing.

Saya stopped at the bottom of the stairs and watched the pair as they sat at the dining table. Rei had found some paper and pencils and was working with Alice on her kanji. Saya watched for a bit and then made a noise so they would know she was coming up behind them.

"Onee-chan is big brother Kohta-san okay?" Alice asked.

"Yes munchkin, he is still sleeping though," Saya replied. She walked over to the cabinets and asked, "We doing any lunch Rei or waiting till the others get back?"

"Saya do you realize what time it is?" Rei asked with a smile. Saya shook her head no and Rei said, "It's after 3 pm. Alice and I had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and I have dinner ready to be put on the stove."

Saya nodded and quickly fixed herself a pb&j before heading back up the stairs. After checking on sleeping beauty, she went across the hall and looked out the window and down the street. _They have been gone for almost six hours._ _I wonder where they are? _she thought.

She spent the next hour going back and forth between the two bedrooms. It was after 4pm when she finally saw someone moving down the street in the direction she was watching. She waited till she was sure, and then ran downstairs to open the door for the returning group.

She unbolted the door and peeked out just as Takashi got to the gate. Checking the yard and street for Them, she ran down to help with the big gym bags they were all carrying.

"What did you do hit the mega-mart?" Saya asked as she saw all the loot.

Takashi grinned, "Kind of, let's get inside first and we'll tell everyone at once." Saya nodded and led them in the door.

"First of all how's Kohta?" Takashi asked as the trio got water to drink and sat down at the table.

Saya gave a report about how he was and how the fever went up. Shizuka got up and said, "I'm going up to look in on him." Taking her main medical bag, she headed up the stairs.

Takashi took a drink and started telling the others about their day. "There was a Pharmacist living in one of the stores. He was holed up in the back of the shop behind steel doors with a shotgun and told us he would barter for whatever we needed. He gave us a list and told us which shops still had stock. Saeko and I went out shopping while Shizuka stayed and talked with him about what we needed and the problems we had. This worked in our favor as we could pick up things we needed as well as what he wanted. He turned out to be a real nice old guy, and when we got back, he and sensei were filling up a couple of bags with stuff we needed."

Takashi rubbed his neck and laughed, "I let him look through all the other stuff we picked up, and he got a few more items that were not on his list. He told us we now had 'store credit' and he hoped we would come by again. I told him if we stayed in the area we would come and check on him in a few days. He seemed real happy about that."

"What did he have to say about other people?" Rei asked.

"He said there were a few others around but it seemed to be less and less every day," Takashi said. "He thinks most are drifting away to find better 'pickings', but he knew several had been caught by Them also. That's another thing; we saw almost none of Them walking the streets. The whole trip we saw maybe, ten, twelve?"

Saeko nodded as she took another drink of her water, "However, it seemed there were more of Them on the return trip then when we went down this morning."

Shizuka came downstairs and said, "I gave him a shot of full spectrum antibiotic and a little pain killer, but I think he needs a blood transfusion. Do any of you know your blood type?"

"O positive," Saeko said.

"B negative for me" Takashi replied and Rei shook her head that she did not know.

Saya looked at the blond and said, "O negative; universal donor."

"Oh good!" the nurse exclaimed. "Come with me and let's get this done. I want to be through before dark so everyone can get a good night sleep."

Upstairs, Shizuka had Saya lay on the bed beside Kohta, as she began to hook up tubes and a pump like device. After a few minutes with some of the others looking on, she stuck needles in Kohta and Saya's arms, and began to work the pump, taking blood from one and putting it into the other.

"Boy he is really going to owe you big time Saya," Takashi said as he watched the procedure. She stuck her tongue out at the boy causing Rei and Saeko to laugh.

About an hour and a half later Shizuka decided she had transferred enough. Dismantling the equipment, she cleaned it and stored it away. She had Saya eat some high calorie cookies she had in her bag, and then told her she wanted her to eat a good solid meal.

The others had gone back downstairs earlier so Saya told the nurse she would be down in a minute. After Shizuka left, she lay her head on Kohta's chest and listened to his heartbeat. A short time later she heard someone discreetly clear their throat. She looked up to find Saeko standing in the door smiling slightly.

"Dinner is ready, Saya-san," the dark-haired girl said. "I will sit with him while you go eat." Saya nodded and got up, stretching before heading out the door.

Her stomach grumbled as she walked into the kitchen to find fresh baked bread and stew made with canned meat. Takashi was helping Alice feed Zeke his daily can of dog food and gave the child two dog biscuits for later.

After eating, Takashi went up and sent Saeko down to eat. Once they finished, Shizuka got out a box of chocolate cupcakes and gave two to Alice, telling her to take one to Takashi. The women then sat at the table and began to savor the treats with moans of delight. The younger girls fell into hysterical giggles as the nurse began to pant and moan, while digging into the cake with her tongue, scooping out the white cream before licking it off her lips.

"Oh sensei!" Saeko said, a wicked grin curving her lip. "You must teach me your technique! Though I prefer Twinkies myself, you know long…tan…and full of cream…" She rolled her eyes and fanned herself as the others collapsed into giggles again while pointing at her.

Afterwards the girls cleaned up and got ready for the night. After her turn in the bath, Saya climbed the stairs and found Takashi sitting in the wing-back chair with Alice. The little girl sat in his lap as he read to her from one of her children's books. Saya stood in the hallway and watched for a few minutes, thinking how grownup he looked while dealing with the child.

Saya stepped in the door and told Alice, "Munchkin, it's time to get ready for bed. Go down and find Rei onee-chan. She has a bath ready."

"Hai, Saya onee-chan," Alice said as she hugged Takashi. "Domo arigato* nii-chan* for reading to me."

"You are welcome Alice-chan." Takashi replied as she ran from the room.

Saya smirked as he got up and stretched. "Well aren't you the father figure," she said.

Takashi shrugged his shoulders and smiled as he reached out and pulled one of Saya's pig-tails, for which she punched him in the shoulder.

"Call if you need anything, Saya," he said as he headed out the door.

Saya nodded and checked Kohta forehead with her hand. _Hmm,_ she thought, _He really feels a lot cooler._

Saya walked back out into the hallway and stood at the railing that overlooked the living area. The others were sitting around the fire pit talking quietly. Takashi was sitting on one side with Saeko and Rei to either side of him. Shizuka sat opposite with Alice and Zeke beside her.

Saya just watched her friends for a while thinking how lucky they were to have each other.

She walked back into the bedroom and closed the door. Going over to the window she leaned out and smelled the night air, wondering if it would rain again soon. Seeing nothing but bright stars, she closed the glass and climbed into bed next to Kohta. She leaned over and kissed him softly on the lips, whispered goodnight, and settled with her head on his shoulder with his hand wrapped in hers.

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><p>AN: Please review, I love hearing you opinions! Also remember o Favorite!

*_Domo arigato_ is a Japanese phrase meaning "Thank you very much"

*'Nii-chan' means "elder brother"


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own Highschool of the DEAD or its characters.

Story revised 10/9/13.

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><p>Blood of the DEAD Chapter 3<p>

The full moon glowed brightly, bathing the bed and Saya with an unearthly light. She awoke feeling as if she was being watched. As she raised her head and looked to Kohta's face, she saw his eyes were open and tears were streaming down his cheeks.

She rose up and put her hand on his cheek and said, "Kohta, are you alright? Are you hurting?"

"I'm ready to go, Miss Angel. There was so much I wanted to do but if it's time for me to go I'm ready. I just wish I could have told Saya I loved her before I went. I wanted so much to protect her and have her live through this." Kohta said.

"Kohta, what are you talking about?" Saya asked with a puzzled look on her face.

"It's alright, Miss Angel," Kohta mumbled, "Thank you for coming to get me looking like her."

"Kohta it's me Saya. Come on wake up and talk to me," She said as she leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

With a puzzled look on his face Kohta replied, "Saya? That's nice, Miss Angel; but Saya would never be in bed with a fat otaku like me."

Saya's mouth fell open as she realized what he was saying. Her face went red and she balled her left hand into a fist. Placing her fist in front of his face she growled, "That was the old Saya, I'm the new Saya, the one who cares about you baka. But let me tell you this, the old Saya can come back anytime she wants to and beat your ass 'til you wake up!"

Kohta's eyes refocused and he stared at her with his mouth open, "S…Saya? What the hell are you doing in bed with me?"

She collapsed on his chest. Raising her head to look him in the face she said, "Kohta you've been unconscious for two days. Your body has been fighting an infection and you were running a high fever. We finally got some good antibiotics yesterday to fix you up. How do you feel? Are you thirsty? Do you need anything?"

Kohta grunted a little, "Uh, I feel real stiff and I could use a drink of water. Why can't I move my arms?"

Saya reached across him and grabbed the water bottle sitting in the nightstand. "Here, drink some of this first," she said as she opened it and held it to his lips. He took a few sips and then nodded he was through.

Saya put the water back and then began to untie his arms.

"We tied you down because we didn't know if you would turn after Their blood got in your wound. Be careful, you've got 38 stiches in your arm."

Kohta flexed his arms slowly as Saya untied his legs. Groaning as he sat up, he winced while rolling his shoulders.

"Put your legs over the side of the bed," she told him, "I'll massage your back."

He nodded and turned his back to her. She began to squeeze his shoulders and rubbing his back, kneading the muscles.

"How does that feel?" she asked with a smile, as he groaned in pleasure.

After a few minutes he looked back at her over his shoulder, "Saya? You didn't answer me, why were you in the bed with me?"

She wrapped her arms around him and lay her head on his back, "When you fell to the ground after you got hurt, and all through the time Shizuka was working on you, I was afraid I was going to lose you. Ever since the start of this, I have treated you so badly, screamed at you, and hit you when all you ever did was protect us…protect me. Now all I want to do is tell you how sorry I am that I treated you that way and how proud I am of you. I want to hold you, and kiss you and make you understand how much I care about you."

Kohta turned back toward Saya and pulled her to his chest with his good arm. He looked down at her for a moment and then leaned in and kissed her.

She gasped at the force of it. It was almost electric as she could feel his passion behind it. She wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss with a fervor now building inside her.

Pausing for a breath, he said, "Saya I love you. I wouldn't say it before because was sure I would be rejected. I'm not holding back anymore, I want you to know how I feel even if you don't feel the same way."

She caressed the side of his face before replying, "I…I love you too Kohta. I didn't understand why you always made me feel so confused when I was near you, but now…now I know. Please…don't ever leave me…" She kissed him again, running her hands through his long hair as she gave in to her passions.

This went on a few minutes, their tongues chasing around in each other's mouths. Kohta began to nuzzle her neck and nibble her ears while Saya groaned in ecstasy. Somewhere in the process Saya pulled her shirt off and Kohta kissed and massaged her breasts, driving her almost to the point of orgasm.

Kohta gasped as suddenly Saya lifted her legs in the air and pulled her shorts and panties off.

She turned to him and said with a smirk, "Your turn."

He tried to imitate her move, but only made it as far as his knees before getting tangled due to his injured arm. Seeing his trouble, she finished the job and dropped their clothing to the floor.

Lying back they stared into each other's eyes for a minute, before resuming their kissing and touching.

As they rolled over on the bed, Kohta suddenly flinched as he put too much weight on his injured arm.

"Are you alright?" Saya asked with concern as he worked his arm trying to flex some of the pain out of it.

He nodded, "Just banged the wound. I guess I was wrapped up in the moment and need to be a little more careful."

Saya giggled a little and pushed him onto his back.

"You just lay back and let me handle this; I think I know what to do," she said with an evil grin.

She looked around and spotted his vest next to his rifle in the corner. She got up and rummaged through the pockets till she found what she wanted. Turning back to him she saw him looking her up and down with a blissful smile on his face.

She smiled back and posed for him before climbing back onto the bed. As she tore the small square package open he reached up and took her hand.

"Saya, are you sure about this?" Kohta asked her gently.

She leaned over and kissed him lightly, "I've never been surer about anything."

000

After the others had gone to bed Takashi sat alone by the fire for a while. He found it peaceful and soothing to watch the flames as they danced and popped. Finally he lay down next to it and dozed off.

Sometime in the night, when the moon was still up and full, he awoke to the sound of someone quietly slipping down the stairs and going into the bath. He tossed a few pieces of wood on the fire and let flames light again from the coals.

He watched as Saeko sauntered from the back of the house, her hips swaying in the kimono, as she came to stand next to him. Sitting up, he smiled at her and motioned for her to sit beside him.

She knelt down next to him, facing him with their thighs touching as they had in the shrine, she leaned close and asked, "I did not wake you did I?"

"No, I was just lying here watching the flames," he said.

Takashi took her hand in his and just sat holding it, feeling the softness of it. She blushed as he raised it to his lips and kissed it. He traced her fingers with his lips as she watched with a dreamy look on her face.

She leaned forward and put her hand on the side of his face as she gently kissed his lips.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered as he wrapped his arms around her and held her close. They stayed like that for a while, just holding each other, exchanging light kisses, and feeling the warmth of their bodies.

Saeko reached down and took his right hand in hers, raising it up and looking at it closely as she kissed the palm and fingers.

"This is the hand you touched me with correct?" she asked.

He nodded not knowing where she was going with this. He bowed his head slightly, "I never apologized to you for that…"

"Shhhh," she whispered as she slid it into her robe to her left breast. "Do it again," she begged.

As she wished, Takashi softly squeezed and fondled the soft globe of flesh. Saeko's breath began to come in short grasps, as she lay her head on his shoulder. As her nub grew hard, she nuzzled his neck, planting little kisses on him.

Suddenly, he froze as a stunned look came across his face. She looked up at him puzzled, as he withdrew his hand and put a finger to her lips. That's when she heard it; a low moan coming from upstairs.

They looked at each with horror in their eyes, as they both thought the same thing at the same time.

Getting up quickly, Takashi got his bat from the corner as Saeko retrieved her sword from where she had placed it next to the stairs.

The boy led as they slowly climbed the stairs, listening to the sounds they now knew were coming from the room Kohta and Saya were in.

"Takashi, that's two voices!" Saeko whispered as they reached the door.

He nodded and held her close for a moment, his breath coming in ragged gasps, as tears formed in his eyes.

"We must do it quick," she whispered.

"I'll do it; you back me up just in case," Takashi muttered.

"Strike true Komuro-kun!" she said as he reached for the door.

Throwing the door open, Takashi rushed into the room with his bat held high. The moonlight glowed in the room as he saw Saya sitting astride Kohta, rocking back and forth as he stroked her breast with his good hand.

Takashi froze as Saya's head swiveled around to look at him. Her eyes seemed to glow with flame for a second. "Do you fucking mind!" she said. "We're kind of busy at the moment!"

"Eeeep!" was all Takashi could say as he stood staring at the scene.

"Dude please…" said Kohta as Saya pointed towards the door. The look on her face surely meant that if he didn't leave right then, she was going to kill him. Painfully.

Takashi lowered his bat and turned back to face the door, finding Saeko standing in it with her hand over her mouth, and her eyes wide.

The swordswoman stepped back as Takashi walked through the door, closing it behind him. She stood in the middle of the hall as he stared ahead with a dumbfounded look on his face.

"Takashi…are you all right?" she quietly asked.

"I…I can't get that picture out of my head…" he said.

Saeko leaned forward, putting her forehead on his shoulder. She began to giggle uncontrollably, her shoulders shaking as she took his shirt and covered her mouth with it.

"What's going on out here?" Rei asked, as she stepped through the door of the room she had been sharing with Saeko.

As Rei stood scratching her head, Saeko went over and whispered in her ear.

"EH! What!" Rei exclaimed, as she leaned around Saeko and looked at the door to Saya and Kohta's room in surprise.

Saeko started giggling again as she pushed Rei back into their room and shut the door.

Takashi stood in the hall for a minute listening to moans from one room and the giggles from the other. He reached up and rubbed the back of his head as he thought _Fuck, I need a drink._ He turned and went back down stairs to find the bottle of Bacardi.

000

Several hours later, Takashi opened his eyes to the light of the day. Groaning, he rolled onto his side and pulled the bottle closer to his chest, hugging it like a friend.

He watched through bleary eyes as Saya and Kohta slowly came down the stairs and disappeared in the bath. _Bath…together…_ he thought, as he groaned again and pulled another drink off of the bottle.

A little while later he opened his eyes again, and saw more movement on the stairs. The boy sat up slowly, as Saeko and Rei came down and went into the kitchen to start water for tea.

He pushed the bottle aside, it was no longer his friend, and sat there rubbing his face wondering how he would get through the day without being killed. He watched as Saya and Kohta came out of the bath, to find Saeko and Rei in the kitchen.

The four stood looking at each other for a minute as Kohta and Saya's faces got redder and redder.

Rei and Saeko hugged Kohta and told him how happy they were he was now feeling better. As he headed for the dining table, they turned to Saya with hugs and whispers to which she replied, "Eh, uh…later."

Their girly spell over with for the moment, the three started getting breakfast ready. Saya, seeing Takashi sitting by the fire, came over and stood by him. He looked up at her thinking, _Here it comes! I'm dead!_

She smirked at him and said, "So…what's wrong with you this morning?"

"I had a rough night," Takashi replied, waiting for the first blow.

Saya knelt down next to him, "Was it so traumatizing to come in on us like that?"

"Umm…that's not really it, we thought he had turned and had bitten you in your sleep. I came through the door expecting to have to kill the both of you," he told her.

"Oh," she said. "I guess I can see where that would surprise you to find a totally different situation when you came in."

He nodded and said, "You sure are taking this calmly, I expected you to clobber me this morning."

She bowed her head and smiled shyly, "Let's just say I'm feeling rather relaxed and peaceful this morning." She frowned at him as he lost control and snorted trying to keep a laugh in. "By the way," Saya said. "You said 'we', where were you and Saeko when you heard us, Hmm?"

Takashi turned red and said, "Saeko had come down to the toilet and we were sitting and…uh…talking by the fire when we heard the…noise."

"Oh really," Saya snickered as she looked over her shoulder at Saeko and Rei in the kitchen. "Hmm…well it's your business; just _don't_ let it affect the group."

Takashi nodded as he looked at the two girls working in the kitchen. He still cared for Rei but Saeko…Saeko was different. She was like an exotic jewel, glowing with an inner light, but with hard sharp edges that made him just want to touch it.

Takashi pulled his eyes away as Alice and Shizuka, followed by Zeke, came down the stairs.

"KOHTA!" cried Alice as she spotted her friend sitting at the table and rushed to him.

Kohta laughed as she threw her arms around him and climbed into his lap.

"Good morning Alice-chan, have you been a good girl while I was asleep?" he asked her.

"Yes," she said happily. "I did everything big brother and big sisters told me to and I helped feed the Koi and Zeke."

Shizuka walked over and kissed Kohta on the forehead and then looked in his eyes and mouth asking how he felt.

Takashi and Saya just sat and watched the peaceful scene for a few minutes as the others interacted. Rei and Saeko, chatting while preparing food, Kohta holding Alice while she told him about the Koi; Shizuka, bouncing off to the water closet after she suddenly remembered that was where she was heading to begin with.

"When did we grow up Saya?" Takashi asked quietly. "I seem to have missed it."

Saya sighed as she watched Kohta, "I think it started when we rescued Alice. We took on her life to protect without thinking of ever giving her up. The next step was at my house, when we stood up for our rights and each other when the adults wanted to cast us back into the role of 'just kids'. The last step was when we decided to leave together. It would have been so easy to just say the hell with it and stay, but we made the decision to walk away from it."

She turned to look at Takashi, "We didn't 'grow up' per se, but we did take on responsibility for ourselves and others that went way past our years."

Saya stood up and looked down upon him, "Enough of this for now. We keep on talking this way and I'll get grumpy, and I feel too good this morning for that."

Takashi smiled as he stood up, and proceeded to stumble as his head reminded him he had been drinking earlier.

Saya snickered as she grabbed his elbow to steady him. Guiding him to the head of the table, she sat him down and walked away.

Alice got up from Kohta's lap and came to give Takashi a good morning hug, then headed out to check on Zeke, who was racing around the back yard.

Takashi watched her go and then turned back to Kohta. He smiled and gave Kohta a thumb up. Kohta nodded, while blushing with a grin on his face.

Saya walked back over bringing a large mug she was stirring. Setting it down in front of him she said, "Coffee, black, drink it."

Takashi chuckled as he started sipping the hot brew. The girls placed food and bowls on the table and began to sit down.

He looked down the table at his friends, his…family, Saeko on his right, Rei on his left, Kohta and Saya next to Saeko, Alice and Shizuka next to Rei.

As he began to eat from the bowl Rei sat in front of him he wondered what the new day in this new world would bring.

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><p>AN: Is this the end of this story? No I don't intend on it being the end just a subject change. I feel I have told what I have to say about Kohta getting hurt and how the others reacted to it. In doing this I think I have opened the doors to a lot of stories that are now running through my brain.

Once again I have to make sure credit is given to my friends, jm1681 and MarshalZhukov for the edits and putting up with me stressing over finishing this chapter.

I hope everyone has enjoyed this and will read all my stories and give input. Please remember to Favorite and Review.

One piece of music I listened to over and over while writing this chapter was;

If Today Was Your Last Day by Nickleback


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